yo-yo despin
English
Alternative forms
- yo-yo de-spin
Etymology
From the cables being wrapped around the spacecraft and unreeling in the manner of a double yo-yo.
Noun
yo-yo despin (uncountable)
- (astronautics) A method of reducing the rotation rate of a rapidly-spinning spacecraft by unreeling a pair of weights from the spinning spacecraft, greatly increasing the spacecraft's moment of inertia and transferring most of the spacecraft's angular momentum to the weights.
Related terms
- yo-yo weight